What Is Dispensary Design?

We’ve put together a really comprehensive guide to improving your dispensary design. However, we need to answer a simple question first: what does the term “dispensary design” actually mean?

First, this may refer to the actual design of your store. For instance, everything from the color of your walls to the layout of your interior falls under “design.”

However, good design also includes incorporating the best practices for your industry. Thus, good design also means how you run the dispensary and generally manage your business.

The best dispensaries incorporate both aspects of good design. That means creating a place with a chill atmosphere, superior customer service, and savvy management practices.

Want to get in on improving your own dispensary design? We’ve brought you the top tips you can start using today!

Don’t Be a “Space” Case

When you’re first starting your dispensary, you may not have that much product. If you’re not careful, that can make your shelves look very thin and picked-over.

This is your opportunity to rearrange your available product and create more walkable space in your store. Customers will dig this: it feels more spacious, and a few well-stocked rows will look better to them than several rows that are practically empty.

Even when you’re not struggling with stock, always ask yourself how your store would look to a first-time customer. In this way, you’ll always be prepared to leave a great first impression!

Lock Down Your Name

It’s highly important that you have a great dispensary website (more on this later). First, though, the basics: you need to register your domain name.

The success of any good business depends on investors. In the cannabis industry, you can find great advice about investors from the NICI.

However, customers and investors alike need to be able to find your dispensary online. And that means making sure you’re the only one with the rights to the URL you need.

That may sound simple, but many people try to “cyber squat” attractive domain names. Before you get any further in your web design process, make sure you snag the domain with your name on it!

Here’s Your “Sign”

Earlier, we talked about the importance of a good website to help customers discover your business online. But have you considered how your dispensary layout design will attract the man on the street?

Your business is going to need a very bright sign with your dispensary name on it. This helps customers notice your business at any time of day or night while also signifying whether you are open or not.

Also, make sure things like the entrance are well-lit. Some potential customers still associate cannabis with criminal behavior, so it’s important that your store look and feel safe before they even step foot inside.

While you’re at it, make sure you have any other relevant signs that you need. Even something as simple as a “21 and up to enter” sign can help deter children from your cannabis retail business, which is still a major concern for many parents.

The Magic of a Good Logo

We’ve talked a lot about things like your website and your signage. Here’s a simple question, though: do you have a good logo?

The success of your marijuana retail store is tied to how well you build your brand in the eyes of the consumer. And the best brands are built on really iconic logos.

Make sure that your logo is large and mostly free of text. Furthermore, make sure the colors represent your business: many dispensaries choose green as part of their logo to represent cannabis.

Finally, consider the different places where you might put your logo. You want something that will look just as good on a highway billboard or a customer t-shirt as it does on your website.

Big Click Energy

For a modern dispensary, only part of your profits are going to come from customers walking in off the street. The rest is going to come through some form of online sales.

Because of this, you need to have a well-designed and slick-looking website. And that means embracing certain design practices above and beyond a good domain name.

For instance, you’ll want a good and eye-catching font. Fonts such as Gotham are stylish and will be noticed across a crowded room. Meanwhile, fonts such as Comic Sans will simply get you laughed out of the room.

Second, you’ll need to deter underage visitors from checking out your website. This can be as simple as forcing customers to verify that they are at least twenty-one years of age.

Finally, you’ll need to build everything around your particular demographic. You don’t want to turn female customers off with sexist imagery, for instance. Instead, make sure any imagery on your site accurately represents the diverse set of customers you want to attract.

If we’re being honest, your website will be a “work in progress” for the early days of the dispensary. Once you get a better idea of who your customers are and what they want, you can create the kind of website that most specifically appeals to them.

Moving On “Impulse”

One quick tip: it’s okay to borrow some dispensary design elements from popular retail stores.

For instance, you should have an “impulse buy” section near your cash register. This should feature cheap accessories (such as rolling papers) that a cannabis consumer is likeliest to buy.

An impulse buy section is a nice and easy way to get some extra money from consumers on their way out!

The Bottom Line

We’ve talked a lot about dispensary design tips and how important a good website is. But do you know who can help design it?

At PSD Learning, we are masters of marketing, advertising, and design. To learn more about how we can help with your web design, click here for our latest tips!